The present invention relates-to an outdoor tabletop glass, and more particularly to a manufacturing process of patio tabletop glass with broken protection to prevent the broken glass particles from hurting the users when the patio tabletop glass is accidentally broken.
Patio table is one of the most popular outdoor furniture, which normally is placed on the patio or in the back yard for the users to rest and serve barbecue. For easy cleaning, decorating and other reasons, most patio table has a glass made tabletop. The tabletop glass, which is simply placed on top of a table frame, generally has a central hole adapted to hold an umbrella in position for sunshine shading.
The biggest shortcoming of the patio tabletop glass is its fragile nature especially when using outdoors. It is reported that even though most of the patio tabletop glasses are made of tempered glass, the patio tabletop. glass may be broken when its surface is impacted with a sharp object; when it falls on the ground; or when a small stone hits on it in high speed. The central hole of the patio tabletop glass is the most weakened area because of the high concentrate stress occurred around the hole. Besides, when wild wind blows on the opened umbrella, it may cause the whole patio table to fall down and break the tabletop glass.
No matter if the patio tabletop glass is broken by any aforesaid reason or other unexpected reasons, the glass is broken into particles and/or pieces with sharp edges that may cause serious body injury to the users, especially to the minors. However, no glass is unbreakable. Thus, the applicant of the present invention seeks a different way to resolve the above problem, i.e. to prevent the broken glass pieces and particles from breaking apart.
It is thus a first object of the present invention to provide a patio tabletop glass with broken protection and the manufacturing process thereof, wherein even when the patio tabletop glass is broken into pieces and particles, the broken glass pieces and particles will not break apart and remain attached to a protection layer.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process of patio tabletop glass which is fast and inexpensive and adapted for mass production.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process of patio tabletop glass with broken protection, which provides a process of forming a central hole on a protection layer after it is firmly adhered on a tempered glass layer without causing an elongated bubble popping up between the tempered glass layer and the protective layer and extending from the edge of the central hole to the peripheral edge of the tabletop glass.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a patio tabletop glass with broken protection, wherein the round edge of the center hole of the protection layer is made to form a protective edge extended around the central hole of the tempered glass layer which is the most weakened area because of the high concentrate stress occurred around the central hole.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a patio tabletop glass with broken protection, which comprises a tempered glass layer having a predetermined shape and size, a protection layer made of polyvinyl chloride or polyester sheet having a thickness of 0.3 to 0.8 mm and a shape and size adapted to cover a top surface of the tempered glass layer, and an adhesive layer which has a preferred thickness between 0.1 to 0.2 mm and is made of acrylic adhesive and the like being evenly applied between the top surface of the tempered glass layer and a bottom surface of the protection layer so as to integrally adhere the protection layer with the tempered glass layer to form an one piece body, wherein the patio tabletop glass is manufactured by the steps of:
(a) fully cleaning at least the top surface of the tempered glass layer which has a central hole thereon with neutral water having a pH of 7 so as to remove any possible oil is thereon;
(b) drying the cleaned tempered glass layer;
(c) heating the entire tempered glass layer to a temperature between 45xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C.;
(d). evenly applying a kind of acrylic adhesive on the top surface of the tempered glass layer which temperature is maintained between 45xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. to form the adhesive layer;
(e) attaching the protection layer having a thickness of 0.3 to 0.8 mm and a width size larger than the tempered glass layer on top of the adhesive layer of the tempered glass layer by pressing the protection layer against the top surface of the tempered glass layer which is maintained at the temperature of 45xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C. until the protection layer is integrally attached on the tempered glass layer, wherein the protection layer has a circular center portion formed above the central hole of the tempered glass layer;
(f) cutting excessive edges of the protection layer to a size identical to the tempered glass layer; and
(g) forming a center hole on the protection layer, which coaxially aligns with the central hole of the tempered glass layer.